Issue a credit note or refund an invoice

Goal

Correct an issued invoice without changing it. A credit note lowers what the client owes and keeps the original on file. If the client has already paid, you also send the money back.

Prerequisites

• The invoice is issued. A draft has nothing to credit; edit or delete the draft instead.
• Your role can edit invoices to issue a credit note. Owners and admins can by default.
• To return money you also need the right to edit payments. A card refund works only for an invoice the client paid through Stripe.
• You know the amount, or which lines, to credit.

Steps

1. Open Accounting, select Invoices, and open the invoice with View details.
2. Select More, then Issue credit note. The row menu has the same item.
3. Next to Credit by, choose Amount to credit a sum, or Line to credit chosen lines. Each line shows the most you can credit.
4. Enter the Refund amount, or tick the lines.
5. Choose the Reason for refund from the list, such as Pricing error or Customer goodwill.
6. Add Notes (optional) if useful, then select Issue credit note.
7. If the client had already paid, open Accounting, then Payments, then Refunds. A pending request for the amount that is no longer owed is waiting there.
8. Select Approve refund on the request. Then select Process to return a card payment through Stripe, or Mark refunded (manual) after you have returned the money yourself.

To refund a Stripe card payment directly, use Refund in the invoice row menu. Leave Refund amount empty for a full refund, or enter a smaller sum, add a Reason (optional), and select the button that shows the amount, such as Refund followed by the sum. This is a real Stripe refund and it also creates the credit note.

Expected result

The credit note gets its own number and appears under Credit notes on the invoice, where you can use Download credit note PDF. Net receivable falls by the credited amount. An invoice credited in full becomes Canceled. A direct refund shows Refund and credit note completed, or Refund processing while Stripe confirms it.

Troubleshooting

• If Issue credit note is missing, the invoice is a draft, voided or canceled, or your role cannot edit invoices.
• If the amount is refused because it exceeds the remaining un-credited balance, lower it. You cannot credit more than the invoice total.
• If Refund is missing in the row menu, the invoice was not paid through Stripe or nothing is left to refund. Issue a credit note and use Mark refunded (manual), then return the money yourself. 4fleet only records a manual refund.
• If a message says the refund could not be completed and that retrying is safe, try the same refund again. It will not be paid twice.
• If you see Refund issued - reconciliation pending, Stripe accepted the refund and 4fleet will finish updating the invoice by itself.
• If a manager sees Issue credit note in the row menu but is refused, the action needs the right to edit invoices, which managers do not have by default.
• If you only need to cancel an invoice that was never sent or paid, voiding it may be simpler. See the article on voiding and reissuing.